Fear's Light
by Just.A.Girl-Just.A.Boy
Summary: What would happen if the night Peeta handed the breaded over to Katniss the bakery burst into flames leaving Peeta homeless, parentless, and for the first time hopeless in this dark world? But will a certain girl of fire be his flame of hope?
1. Fear's Light

**_Chapter 1: Fear's Light_**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

**A/N: **This is my first fanfic and I hope that you enjoy it! Please review; I would love to know what you guys think of it so far.

**Summary: **What would happen if the night Peeta handed the bread over to Katniss the bakery burst into flames leaving Peeta homeless, parentless, and for the first time in his life hopeless? Now, Peeta and his brothers must fend for themselves in this dark and frightning world, but can a certain girl of fire be Peeta's flame of hope? PeetaxKatniss

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Life is like the onion. When you let the hands of time pull back your frail skin you are always risking the urge to cry. For with every onion there comes a story, and with every story comes is a life to be led, and with every life comes something that goes wrong, and sometimes we aren't always strong enough to fix the things that go wrong, no matter how hard we try.

"Now, that my boy is the daughter of the woman I wanted to marry, but she chose the coal miner over me," my father said as he pointed a delicate finger at a girl in plaited pigtails holding onto her mother's hand.

"Why did she choose him over you daddy?" a six-year-old Peeta asked, as he looked up to his father whose eyes had begun to glow just a bit with the memory.

"Ah, Peeta, that coal miner was something else. When he opened his mouth to sing the birds fell silent and abandoned their own tunes,"

Peeta gave a silent nod, as he took one last, fleeting glance at the petite girl holding her mother's hand, before being ushered into the assembly.

Once the loud chatter had diminished significantly, a lady with long, flowing brown hair stepped to the center of the room with a kind smile plastered on her face.

"Now class, does anyone here know of the valley song?" the music teacher asked kindly to the children in front of her.

All of a sudden, Peeta saw a slender hand pop up from the mob of students sitting criss-cross apple sauce on the blue carpet. The teacher gave a silent nod to the girl, as she stood up with her plaited braids swinging slightly.

And then she sang. In her little red and black checkered dress, the girl of only a mere three foot eight made the birds neglect their tunes, the parents look, and the whole room fill with complete awe.

Peeta swayed slightly as he let the girl's voice overwhelm his senses, until he felt his mind go blank and fill itself with only pleasant memories. His mother raising her voice at his poor father in the middle of the night was placed into the dark recesses of his mind, as he cherished the little girl's song, and then just as soon as it had began it stopped. Peeta looked around him in a daze, as the warm feeling of happiness slowly dripped out of his system.

The little girl gave a bashful look to her audience once she had come out of a stupor of her own, as she gathered her bearings and sank right to the carpet.

"That was simply marvelous," the music teacher said tenderly to the little girl.

The girl with the plaited pigtails gave a curt nod and slowly folded her arms over her chest, as she tried desperately to avoid any eye contact with anyone else in the room. At that very moment the little girl wished that she had stayed in the shadows like she had planned to on her first day of school, as she tried desperately to build up a wall of ice between herself and the rest of the world.

The music teacher slowly crouched down to the little girl's level and asked in a tender voice that reminded the little girl of her own mother's tone when she was reassuring her patients that they would see another day of light and the darkness was never permanent.

"What is your name honey?"

The little girl blinked in surprise at the teacher's tone, as her arms soon found themselves abandoning her chest and falling at her sides, "Katniss. Katniss Everdeen," the little girl said in a voice just above a whisper.

The music teacher gave Katniss a tender smile, as she rose to her feet and resumed her position at the center of the assembly room.

"Now, boys and girls…"

The rest of the teacher's words didn't even register into Peeta's mind, as the rest of his first day of school went by in a blur. The only thing that remained clear to the little boy was the beautifu, pure sound of that little girl's- no Katniss Everdeen's voice. If there was one thing that Peeta was certain of, it was that that girl's voice was magical. It was her voice, and her voice alone, that could penetrate his outer shell and let the true Peeta Mellark shine.

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**A/N:** Well, I hope that you guys enjoyed this fic. I am debating whether I should keep it as a one-shot or continue with it. Please review! Thanks so much for reading! Since I'm new to this site and all, I was hoping if someone could please show me the ropes, like I know to put a disclaimer before each chapter and stuff like that, but I was wondering how long the chapters are usually and etc. Sorry for the bother, but thanks!


	2. A Game of Truth or Dare

_**Chapter 2: A Game of Truth or Dare**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own in any way, shape, or form the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins!:(

**A/N:** Thanks so much to all of you guys who read this story! I'm glad that you enjoyed it, so I shall continue it! Anyway, I hope that you will also enjoy this chapter/update. Thanks!:)

**Big Thanks/Shout out to:** AmyLuvsWriting, Mrs. Hawthrone, KateTheFanFictionist, LizTheBookNerd, TheSilverMockingjay, and Amy, for all of their wonderful and helpful comments!:)

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The next day at school when Peeta Mellark saw his girl with the plaited pigtails, the little boy literally dragged his poor father to the spot where both Katniss and her mother stood.

"Daddy! Daddy! There's the girl that makes the birds go silent!" Peeta whispered excitedly to his father.

"Yes, Peeta I know it's them, but-"

"Oh. Hello David," Mrs. Everdeen said with a polite nod, as she closed the distance between them.

"Cassandra," Mr. Mellark stated with a curt nod, as he unconsciously took a step backwards from the group.  
An uneasy silence fell among the group, as the young Peeta found himself observing Katniss carefully, from her slightly tousled brown hair to the slight scowl adorning her petite face to her slightly worn-out gray jumper, Peeta could tell that this girl was… Different. A good different. A bad different. That was something that Peeta wanted to find out on his own.

"Well, this is my daughter Katniss," Mrs. Everdeen stated.

"And this here is Peeta,"

Deciding to take the initiative the boy gave a slight wave to the girl in front of him.

"Hi there; I'm Peeta," stated the blonde good-naturedly.

Katniss stared at the boy with a blank expression, as her hands slowly folded across her chest.

Mrs. Everdeen laughed nervously,

"Sorry about that. Katniss here's a bit shy,"

"Ah, that's something I've never had to worry about with this one on my hands," chuckled Mr. Mellark.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you Robert; how's Georgia doing?"

"Fine. Just fine. Thanks for asking," Mr. Mellark stated as his eyes began to grow darker. "How has Ryan been treating you lately?"

"Great, thanks for asking," Mrs. Everdeen said with an uneasy smile.

Mr. Mellark nodded to Katniss and her mother and ushered Peeta to the school building, "Well, we better me heading off now. Come along now Peeta,"

Peeta nodded in silent consent as he trudged behind his father, slyly looking over his shoulder to see that his girl had his eyes trained on him.

xXxXx

"Alright first grade, time for recess!" the teacher announced.

Children immediately flew up from their chairs, as the sound of metal screeching against the tile floor filled the air.

Peeta sauntered out onto the playground, as he found himself being drawn into a large group of first grade boys over by the monkey bars.

"Hey, you're Peeta right?" a boy with a mop of black hair asked, as he hoisted himself to the monkey bar Peeta was sitting on.

"Yep, and you're Matt right?" Peeta responded with a bright smile. "Wanna be friends?"

"Sure, why not. Momma's always telling me the more the merrier. But," Matt drawled out as a mischievous grin danced on his lips. "Are you tough enough for a game of Truth or Dare?"

"Um, what's that?" Peeta asked hesitantly, not wanting to jeopardize his first potential friendship.

The boy gazed up at him in shock.

"You don't know what Truth or Dare is?" Matt exclaimed. Matt pondered over the dilemma, when all of a sudden he burst out into a half wild, half crazy grin that would have made the Cheshire cat himself jealous. "Well, that makes it all the more fun."

Matt hopped from his seat on the monkey bars.

"Alright then, to play the game I'm going to ask you 'Truth or dare?' And then you, Peeta, will answer 'Dare,'" Matt stated simply.

"But what if I want truth?" Peeta asked innocently.

"Peeta, only chickens and babies choose truth. If we're going to be friends, you're gonna say 'Dare.' Ok?"

"Okay," Peeta sighed.

"Truth or dare?" Matt asked. After ten seconds of silence, Matt narrowed his eyes at Peeta. "Peeta, what did I just tell you?"

"Alright, alright! I choose d-dare," Peeta stammered.

"Great choice Peeta! I think you're finally getting the hang of this game," exclaimed Matt. Now back to his enthusiastic state.

"I dare you to… ," Matt's eyes focused on one girl sitting by herself under the willow tree. "to kiss her!"

"What!" Peeta exclaimed.

"Aw, c'mon Peeta. I hope you're not one of those guys that think that girls have cooties," Matt stated in frustration.

"No, I don't its just-it's just…"

"Look Peeta, you can just give her a peck on the cheek. Ok? Now, go!" Matt said, as he shoved Peeta into Katniss' direction.

I bet he didn't even know her name. Peeta thought to himself, as he soon found himself in front of Katniss. Peeta gulped slightly, as he took a wobbly step towards the girl, and without even giving her a moment for Katniss to escape, Peeta pressed his lips to Katniss' cheek.

And just as soon as it had started the moment collapsed with one deafening slap. Peeta found himself sprawled out on the cold ground, as he silently promised himself to never participate in a game of Truth or Dare ever again. Without even muttering a word, Katniss brushed herself off and glared at Peeta, as she rubbed her cheek furiously with her hand.

Just then, Matt appeared from under the monkey bars laughing his head off.

"So, how did you like Truth or Dare Peeta?"

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**A/N: **So, what did you guys think? I'll try to update soon, and I hope that this chapter is long enough (I tried to make it longer than the last one at least.) Also, I would really like to know what you guys want to happen next, or even throughout the whole entire story! I have a feeling that it may prevent a bad case of writer's block for me in the future... Hope that you guys liked it! Anyway, please review!


	3. Soccer is More Than Just a Sport

**_Chapter 3: Soccer is More than Just a Sport_**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in any way, shape, or form!:(

**A/N:** Thank you so much you guys for your wonderful reviews and advice. I hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations, and I'm really excited to see what you guys think of the next update/chappie. Enjoy!:)

**Thank you/ Shoutout: **AmyLuvsWriting, Mrs. Hawthrone, KateTheFanFictionist, LizTheBookNerd, TheSilverMockingjay, Amy, demonweasel1, PeetaMellark'sKatniss, HopeNeverDies, TheNextMissPeeta, xXOhMyGodsxXx, .Buttons, and lovebitesx. Here's to all of the wonderful people who have graciously alerted/favorited/reviewed this story! Thanks so much!

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Chapter 3:

"C'mon Mellark, pass the ball!"

Peeta warily eyed the sweaty teenage boy in front of him, as he adroitly passed the black and white checkered ball from either foot. As much as Peeta didn't want to admit it, the soccer game was all just a ploy for the guys to impress the girls. Although, he personally didn't see how a sweaty, mud-caked middle school boy yelling and running around a field would be appealing to a girl. But it worked. Surprisingly. The guys would let off their steam, while the girls in their designer clothes and all would point fingers, gossip, and spend most of their time make eyes at the boys on the field. It really was a win-win situation for both "teams."

Ignoring his team mate's request, Peeta sprinted down the middle of the field, dodging the opposing team's futile attempts of possessing the ball. Peeta eyed the goalie carefully, as he tried to determine the his weakest spot. And then without a second thought, Peeta threw the checkered sphere into the air. He gave a slight smirk, as he felt all of the girls' eyes on him waiting for his next move, and then did a backwards flip into the air and kicked the ball with his soccer clad foot. Peeta eyed the ball, as it soared passed defense and whirled its way toward the goal. Peeta strained his ears until he heard the satisfying smack of the ball hitting the metal rim of the cage. An eruption boomed from the audience, as Peeta received a chorus of congratulations and smacks on the back from his fellow team mates. While he received a generous amounts of "victory" kisses from the girls (on the cheek of course) accompanied by fits of giggles. It wasn't until the crowd had faded out that Peeta saw his oldest and best buddy, Matthew Ride emerge into view.

"Nice game, Mellark," Matt congratulated, as he thumped Peeta on his back.

"Couldn't have done it without Ride," Peeta stated sincerely to his best friend, remembering all of the possible goals Matt had deflected.

"And don't you forget it," Matt said with a smirk.

"Don't think you'll ever let me,"

"Aw, you really are my best friend," Matt teased.

"I have my moments of regret," Peeta said with a smile gracing his features.

"Hey, you were the one that came up to me in first grade and said 'wanna be friends?'" Matt mocked in a high pitched voice.

"Whatever," Peeta mumbled under his breath, as he elbowed Matt slightly.

The boys then both looked at each other with straight faces and then bursted into a fit of laughter. After a minute of deep chuckling from both boys, Matt nudged Peeta and whispered in a hushed voice,

"Hey, Man, I think I saw that blonde haired beauty checking you out all through the game,"

"Charlotte?" Peeta questioned in disbelief.

"The one and only,"

Peeta carefully turned around to see Charlotte by her lonesome waving her hand flirtatiously at him. Peeta gave a toothy smile back at her and gave her a slight wave in return. So… Maybe she wasn't the type of girl he usually dated, and he wasn't the type of boy she usually dated, but this was Charlotte Myecord they were talking about. Miss Popular, Miss Money bags, Miss-Miss Everything.

"Peeta," Matt said in a hushed voice, knocking him out of his stupor. "She's coming,"

"Hi Peeta," Charlotte said in a soft voice that sounded like a cat purring.

"H-Hey Charlotte," Peeta stammered. Now that he had a better look at the girl, Peeta couldn't help but notice how artificial she looked. With golden tattoos conquering her whole face and dark rings of eyeliner, Charlotte Myecord looked more overwhelming than ever.

All of a sudden Matt gave Peeta a hard shove towards Charlotte.

"What do you think you're doing?" Peeta hissed furiously under his breath, trying to conjure up a sweet smile for Charlotte.

"I'm trying to help you out here Peeta. This is Charlotte Myecord you're dealing with. You can't mess this up," Matt stated as calmly as he could before dashing around the corner of the school building.

He's probably eaves dropping. Peeta thought to himself, as he tried to settle his nerves before looking back at Charlotte's golden swirls.

"Congratulations in the soccer game Peeta. Did you win it for anyone special?" Charlotte asked with a slight smirk on her face.

Peeta gulped internally, as he tried to come up with a response quickly. What was happening to him? He was supposed to be a people person, smooth with the ladies, commander of the English language. And look at him now, he could not even respond to some simple flirting. Peeta took a deep breath and casted Charlotte a toothy smile that had made all of his previous girlfriends swoon.

"Well, there is this one girl I did try to win it for. But I'm not so sure if she noticed me…" Peeta drifted off, as he tried to think of what his eldest brother Cole would do. He could always get a real sawoon from the ladies.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she did," Charlotte replied as she took a step closer to Peeta, smirking up at him with a mouth of bright red lipstick.

"Well Charlotte, do you think that this particular girl would mind going out with me, say tomorrow?" Peeta suggested as he teasingly wiggled his eyebrows at Charlotte, praying that it looked just as macho as when Cole did it.

"I would like that," Charlotte said, as she winked at Peeta.

"Hey, how did you know I was talking about little old you?" Peeta asked in mock surprise, as he snapped his fingers in an "aw shucks" kind of way.

"Lucky guess," Charlotte replied with a giggle. "Pick me up at seven Peeta, oh, and don't be late,"

Peeta watched Charlotte's retreating body and excessively swaying hips.

"I. Am. The. Best. Wing. Man. EVER!" Matt yelled from around the school building, as he tackled Peeta to the ground.

"How so?" Peeta countered with a raised eyebrow.

"How so?" Matt mocked. "How so! I just scored you a date with the most desirable girl in our grade!"

"Uh huh," Peeta smirked, as he threw his bag over his shoulder and exited the soccer field, leaving an agitated Matt behind.

"Well, a thank you would have been nice you know?" Matt mumbled weasily, as he focused on catching his breath.

Peeta smiled slightly as he shook his head at his best friend. When all of a sudden, dread coursed through his body, causing Peeta to gulp.

"M-Matt what time is it?" Peeta stuttered, as he drew his feet to a stand still on the dirt road.

"Uh, six thirty, why?" Matt questioned with a slight crease in between his eyebrows.

"You've got to be kidding me," Peeta muttered under his breath, as he pulled his soccer and school bag further onto his shoulder and took off into a full out sprint.

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**A/N: **Dun, Dun, Dun, DUN! Lolz, anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Just so you know, this is the epilogue/exposition and the events that I have mentioned in the summary will occur soon. Very soon. Please review and tell me what you think should happen next! Thanks:)


	4. A Flicker of Light

_**Chapter 4: A Flicker of Light**_

**Disclaimer:** I unfortunately do not own the amazing Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins!:(

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all of the wonderful reviews that this story has been given. This chapter was sort of fun for me as a sort of author to write. I loved writing Ma's dialogue and I hope that you will enjoy reading it! It just makes my day to know that you guys have enjoyed reading this fic! I hope that you will enjoy this next fic/ update. We are finally getting closer to the start of our story!:)

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"Ma, I can explain," Peeta stated hurriedly, as he threw down his school and gym bag onto the wooden floor. Peeta slowly stood up, as he saw from the corner of his eye Ma emerging from the hidden shadows of the bakery. Peeta realized she had been waiting and watching this entire time. She was very much known in district 12. People whispered about her. She was known and respected - or feared.

Ma was a tall and muscular woman, with long, tangled hair pulled back roughly and tied with a thick blade of grass at the back of her neck. Her eyes were dark, and her gaze could have easily pierced the calmness that had began to grow within Peeta. The ragged pink cut that marked her chin and continued down her neck to her broad shoulder was a remnant of the countless sparks that had been flung at her face from hours upon hours of working in the bakery. She alone had rolled and kneeded the miles and miles of dough and dragged the flour sacks with her calloused hands before Peeta's dad had come along. Ma's scar was a reminder to every one of her perserverence and vigor, as well as her malevolence

Peeta swallowed slightly, as he rose to his full height and brought the steadiest gaze he could conjure upon his face. He tried to still his trembling hands, as he leaned against the cold wooden doorframe.

"Peeta," Ma spat out as if his name was made of pure acid, "You worthless, good for nothing son! Do you know how long this bakery has been unattended for?"

A moment of tension filled silence descended between the two.

"Answer my question boy!" Ma roared, as she smacked Peeta on the cheek, leaving a red hand mark imprinted on his face.

"I don't know," Peeta mumbled, concluding that this was the best response to his mother.

"You don't know. You don't know. You don't know!" Ma screamed with utmost fury, as she clenched her hands into tight balls of calloused skin. Each sentence of hers being spoken louder and angrier than the last.

"You never know Peeta! All you do is play with those silly little friends of yours day in and day out. Have you've ever thought about how your actions might affect your mother, your brothers, or even your father?"

Peeta chewed on the side of his cheek, as he felt around soundlessly for the glass door knob, his fingers itching to turn the sphere.

"You're worthless Peeta, just plain worthless! I'll tell you how late you were for your shift today, a whole hour! Do you even know what your actions have cost us? One less hour of money, one less hour of contentment, one less hour of life!" Ma yelled as she slammed her fist down on the family's wooden table, creating a visibly crack in the grain.

"I am not worthless," Peeta stated quietly, as he looked silently looked down at his tattered shoes.

"Oh, really?" Ma sneered as she placed a hand on her hip.

Another tension filled moment passed between the two, when all of a sudden an all too happy smile appeared on Ma's lips.

"You're right Peeta; you're not worthless," stated sweetly, as she edged closer to Peeta and stroked his bruised cheek gently. Then, with one flick of her hand, she presented another slap upon Peeta's cheek.

"You're worse than that my boy! You're right down there with the pigs. You're beyond the pits of worthlessness. You. Are. Sunk!" Ma stated all in a controlled and deathly whisper.

"No," Peeta whispered silently, as he looked his mother directly into the cold, heartless eye.

"Get. Out," Ma seethed, as she pointed to the door, "Go feed the pigs out back. You can't mess that much up Peeta. You're just like them. A burden, a complete mess, and a beyond worthless being!"

Peeta nodded slightly, as he moved his sore legs across the room to the scrap bucket. And then in long strides he twisted the doorknob, but not before saying in a venomous whisper,

"No, Ma. You're beyond the pigs," And with that, Peeta slammed the back door shut and let the early night air consume his entire being.

"We aren't worthless," Peeta stated to the pigs, as he dumped the contents of the scraps bucket into their pen.

Peeta stood up to leave the pen, when a dark figure caught his eye. A girl in a tattered brown jumper stood in a crouched position with her arms secured around her chest. Peeta gulped, as he saw the girl's sunken face accompanied by hollow eyes. He saw her body tremble as a slight wind blew towards her. A breeze that wasn't even strong enough to knock a can down, but had her facing the ground in an instant. This scene alone scared Peeta even more than his mother.

Peeta watched as her eyes looked longingly at his family's bakery window, her eyes settling upon the rows of freshly iced cookies and cakes. Without a second thought, Peeta dashed back into his wooden house and picked up to loaves of burnt to the crisp bread.

He gently rushed towards the petite girl and tapped her gently on the shoulder. The girl's grey eyes widened as she looked back and forth from the bread to Peeta. Peeta saw the sliver of drool that emerged from her mouth, as she looked down at the burnt loaves in the boy's hands.

Peeta knelt down at the girl's level, as he silently made the trade when a flicker of red and yellow light caught Peeta's eye.

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**A/N:** What will happen next? Anyway, thanks for all of the amazing reviews/alerts/favorites you guys! I will announce all of those amazing people in the next chapter/update! I'm going to try to update as frequently as I am right now, but the teachers are unfortunately piling on the tests and homework... I'll do what I can though, and I hope that you guys had a laughter filled April Fool's Day (I know I did!) Anyway, please review!:)


	5. So Many Deaths

_**Chapter 5: So Many Deaths**_

**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately do not own the amazing Hunger Games trilogy!:(

**HUGE QUESTION:** Would any of you guys like to start a community or a forum with me? We could find the best PeetaxKatniss works, or the best Hunger Games works in general and post them there. Tell me what you guys think! I just thought that it would be a lot of fun to do. You can either pm me about it or tell me about it in your review. Thanks!:)

**A/N:** Sorry for the late(ish) update guys. I tried to upload an Author's Note chapter to this story stating that the update would not be up for a while, but for some reason it didn't upload. Just saying, this late update isn't entirely my fault, since I did try to upload this chappie two days ago, but I couldn't log into my account, since the site was down. On top of all of that I had eight tests/quizzes last week and including today so I was officially swamped in work. Anyway, sorry to keep you guys waiting, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

**Shout out:** Thanks soooooo much to all of my amazing readers out there; you guys are just plain ah-mazing! Here's to everyone ho has either reviewed/favorited/alerted this fic: AmyLuvsWriting, Mrs. Hawthrone, KateTheFanFictionist, LizTheBookNerd, TheSilverMockingjay, Amy, deamonweasel1, PeetaMellark'sKatniss, HopeNeverDies, TheNextMissPeeta, xXxOhMyGodsxXx, .Buttons, lovebitesx, EchoDeltaNine, laughingismyhobbie, Avatarfanx2, RandomPerson, Hey, GoTeamPeetaGo, JulietWithoutHerRomeo, Update, Alatricity, CaityCullen99, BunniesOfDoom, Luthie Surion-my elvish name, nappy sappy happy, eCullenONLY, and PurpleCandyCorn! (Sorry if I mispelled any of your pen names guys!:))

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Fire. Fire is never a gentle master. It is unforgiving to its name. Fire is a being in its self and is will send a spark through everything and anything in its path. Whether good or evil, light or dark, you are never safe from the contagious death. Fire will spread a pain untold to each and every one of its victims, for the only goal of fire is to eliminate. Its merciless armies conquer the night fueling the fear and trepidation in the souls of all men and children alike. Beware the fire, for it knows, where everyone hides, where everyone goes. And its flames won't rest until it claims every last breath with no seconds to waste.

Peeta watched as the fingers of flame clenched the wooden remains of the poor bakery into a vice grip, until all that was left was nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was nothing in left for Peeta in that meaningless pile of rubble. Peeta gulped as he felt a heavy weight press down upon his shoulders. Ma was gone. She had left him. Even with their constant bantering and meaningless insults she had left him. This time for good. Ha, the last thing she called him before she died was a good for nothing pig. Peeta chuckled wanly to himself, as he pulled a tired hand through his worn out locks, he seemed to be doing that more and more now.

Peeta gulped slightly, as he thought back to the last words he muttered to his own mother. He had in fact called her a pig himself; Peeta was officially no better than the daemon herself. He felt his knees collide with the solid earth, wondering why he hadn't felt his knees buckling. Peeta felt himself shake slightly from the unknown breeze, as he shuddered uncontrollably.

Ma must know-have known-, that he had never meant what he had said to her. Sure, some of the words were sincere, but they were all out of vengeance- of the why she ruffled his feathers with her own snotty remarks. Sure, Ma wasn't always there for him, but he should have always been there for her. His father may have married Ma, but under no circumstances did that mean he loved her. Even a blind man could see that his father had already given away the key to his heart a long time ago to a certain Miss Everdeen.

But Peeta didn't want to be that kind of man to his father. From day one of their relationship he had wanted to thaw her out. He had sincerely wanted to see her smile again, to here her gently laugh. A laugh that he had heard only once when he was first born, and Ma was cradling a baby Peeta in her arms. He had wanted to be one her constant, the one firm rock that she could always lean on- all of her sons wanted to be this for her. Cole, Riley, and him, they had all tried time after time to be there for her, to thaw out the ice queen into the caring motherly figure they knew was deep inside.

And it had worked for a while. The three of them would sometimes see that ghost of a smile or a smirk on her face when the three brothers would crack a joke, or would help with the dishes, or even mend to her garden without a complaint. But then when pa's presence began even less frequent and got the point of being scarce, Ma's scowl seemed to be locked into her flesh permanently. Her eyes lost the faint glow that her son's had spent years working to spark, her rough, coarse hair lost whatever pinch of lust it had to begin with, the brothers had gone back to square one-probably even worse than that. She then started to hit her sons, no longer caring, no longer living. The only tone that Peeta had heard her use was either a deadly whisper, or a vicious, ear burning yell.

At this point, Ma just threw herself into her work. She no longer cooked family dinners for them, or reminded her sons to do their homework, or planned family outings. Nothing was meaningful for her any longer. Ma just went through the motions of her life, day in and day out.

Peeta and his brothers had just then stopped trying. They had all come to the conclusion that she had become too callused to save. The best thing that the three could think of to do at this point was to give their mother her space and hopefully she would come around. But as the first year evolved into six and then into eight and then into ten, the brothers had lost hope.

But then one day when Peeta had come home from school those ten years later, he had found his mother kneading the dough with a small salty stream running down her cheek. That was the day when Peeta had resumed before her rock, her one constant in life. Peeta was the one then to cook for the family, so that Ma could once again experience what real family unity and togetherness felt like. Afterwards, Peeta would take a brush and comb through Ma's long and coarse hair until he was able to run his fingers through it without coming across bumps. And at the end of each night, Peeta would ask her the same question: 'Are you happy?' And every night Peeta was met with the same response of glassy eyes and a wobbly finger pointing towards her bedroom door. And every night Peeta would give her a minute to take back her request. And every night Peeta found himself walking out of her bedroom without an answer.

Peeta felt his hands and arms shake violently, as he reminded himself that this was the first night he had ever talked back to his mother, to that fragile, delicate being.

After what felt like ions, Peeta brought his gaze to the remains of his home. And there sitting in the rubble was the wedding ring that his father had given Ma on their wedding night. Peeta felt himself stiffen at the sight of it, and his knees began to tremble once more. Peeta slowly stooped down and scooped up his mother's ring, and pocketed it carefully into his bakery apron, kissing it softly before the golden sphere fell into the deep fold of his pocket.

It took all of Peeta's energy to shift his gaze away from the mound of ashes and wood, but not before another glistening, gold object caught his eye. A locket. The golden chain that his father had always worn around his neck was now tossed into the heap as well. How his father had gotten into the chaos of the fire was beyond him, but at this particular moment Peeta didn't care one little bit.

Peeta kept his face emotionless, as he once more bent down into the heap of rubble to pick up the lost object. He never did know what truly was inside the locket until this very moment, but once Peeta opened the hollow heart up, he wished that he could erase the picture from his very mind. She was the reason why his mother had died. Peeta gave another remorseful chuckle to himself. Ma had died long before the fire, and it was this very woman who had ended her marriage, her life.

Peeta stared long and hard at the lady plastered in his father's locket. She was the reason for the many deaths in his life. She was the one that had killed his loving family bit to bit. She was the one that had extinguished his last flame of hope.

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**A/N:** So... I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review; your reviews just really make my day, so I would really appreciate it if you clicked that little button down there. Thanks! Love ya guys, and I'll try to update soon.


	6. Remembering Pa

**_Chapter 6: Remembering Pa_**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the amazing Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins in any way, shape, or form!:(

**A/N:** So... Long time no see, huh guys? I hope that you guys have been having fine times at school! Once again, I've had a very hectic week this week and am looking forward to the long weekend. We have no school this Friday! (ugh, I feel like I'm reciting lines from Rebecca Black's Friday.) Anyhow, I'm not sure if this is going to be one of the most mind blowing chapters of mine that you will ever read, but basically what you are going to read about is one of Peeta's most significant memories of his father, Pa, hence this chapters title. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chappie!:)

**Important Notice: **Hey guys! Also, if you haven't noticed yet, I am starting a SYOT fanfic titled "And May the Games Begin" and it would really mean a lot to me if you guys could submit some tributes to me, if you would like! That really would make my day you guys. Thanks!:)

**Shoutout Time:** Here's to all of those amazing people out there. This one's for you! AmyLuvsWriting, Mrs. Hawthrone, KateTheFanFictionist, LizTheBookNerd, TheSilverMockingjay, Amy, deamonweasel1, PeetaMellark'sKatniss, HopeNeverDies, TheNextMissPeeta, xXxOhMyGodsxXx, .Buttons, lovebitesx, EchoDeltaNine, laughigismyhobbie, Avatarfanx2, RandomPerson, Hey, GoTeamPeetaaGo, JulietWithoutHerRomeo, Upate, Alatricity, CaityCullen99, BunniesOfDoom, Luthien Surion-my elvish name, eCullenONLY, PurpleCandyCorn, SweetMeiko, Universal Chick, tessarunie, KP4eva, WordsTakingFlight, DistantStorms, TaylorrStrife! (Sorry if I mispelled any of your pen names guys!:()

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Peeta rubbed his callused fingers back and forth on the shiny, golden surface of his father's locket. It just had to have been the sole survivor of the fire. As much as Peeta would have loved to burry the locket deep into the bakery's ashes, to forever reside by his father's discarded side, he knew that he just didn't have it in him. Even though that picture inside that locket held the one person who tore his family to pieces, the locket was also the only memory that Peeta had left of his father. David Mellark. With his hardy laugh and sparkling chocolate eyes, he was the greatest friend Peeta could have ever asked for.

Peeta gave a half-hearted laugh, as he remembered the time when his father first taught him how to bake bread.

A two-year-old Peeta slowly set down his purple crayon, as he rose himself to his full height at three foot four and followed the delectable scent of warming pastries filling the air. Little Peeta wobbled and tumbled his way towards his father, and pulled on his pant leg roughly, hoping to catch the older man's attention. Unfortunately, his chubby two-year-old legs had yet to develop their strength, and had resulted in him tumbling down onto the tiled floor-or so he had thought. A pair of callused hands scooped up the two-year-old's body and plopped him down on the bakery countertop.

"Now, what's my little man doing falling all over the place?" Mr. Mellark asked with a deep chuckle, as he ruffled his son's golden hair.

"Daddy make sweet smell," a two-year-old Peeta gurgled, as he clapped his hands in delight.

"Yes, Daddy make sweet smell," Mr. Mellark replied back, unable to stop the grin from gracing his features as he stared down at his lovable little boy. He was so pure.

Peeta squirmed slightly in his counter top seat, as the sugary smell became too overwhelming for the toddler boy. Little Peeta licked his lips, as he moved his chubby hand swiftly to grab one of the already cooling "sweet smells" by him.

"Wait, Peeta-" Mr. Mellark had tried to warn, as his young son was already getting a grip on the pastry.

"Owwwwww!" Peeta shrieked, as he abruptly dropped his "sweet smell" on the ground and immediately brought his fingers to his lips, and soothingly sucked on each one.

A hardy laugh emanated from the large man, as he moved the pastry dish out of range from his son's sticky fingers.

"It's hawt!" Peeta cried out, as he pointed angrily at the "sweet smells."

"Well, they did just come out of the oven Peeta," Mr. Mellark tried to reason with his son.

"But they're hawt," Peeta stated in frustration, as he mumbled under his breath. "They were supposed to be sweet,"

"Oh, here, Peeta. Just wait a little while longer and your sweet smells will be good and ready to eat.

"Peeta want sweet smells now!" two-year-old Peeta exclaimed, as he tugged on the corner of his father's apron for emphasis.

"Peeta will get sweet smells in a few minutes," Mr. Mellark reasoned with an amused expression on his face.

A slight scowl adorned the two-year-old's pudgy face, as he sucked on his fingers even more vigorously, when all of a sudden a bright smile conquered the child's lips.

"Daddy teach Peeta how to make sweet smells!" the little boy exclaimed, as he bounced his body up and down on the table in excitement.

"Now, Peeta, you know that cooking and baking are two things that only big boys get to do," Mr. Mellark chided.

"Peeta big boy!" the little boy exclaimed, as he flailed his arms wildly at his father.

Mr. Mellark bit his lip, as he looked at the dangerously hot oven and his little toddler and back.

"Oh, alright Peeta. Let's get you an apron!" Mr. Melark sighed, knowing that he would regret his decision when his wife came charging through the door that evening.

"Thanku Daddy! You're the best Daddy in the whole entire universe!" Peeta stated through his garble, as he excitedly through the apron over his head.

Despite himself, Mr. Mellark could not help but to smile at his son's statement. He could deal with his wife later on; all that mattered to him now was that bright smile plastered on Peeta's face.

Peeta couldn't help himself grin at the memory and the countless grins and tears that he endured that day. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt from the hatred and contempt that he had held against his father's a few mere minutes ago. The ugly face of reality slowly crept into his mind's eye, as he gave a heavy gulp. Now, both ma and pa were gone. Both were in the land beyond the clouds. Peeta just hoped that they were not looking down at him at this very moment to see him breaking down and not staing strong aftter their deaths.

Peeta ran a tired hand through his hair, as he thought of what Riley and Cole would think. How would he tell his brothers? Well, obviously I won't have to say much to them, Peeta thought sarcasticly to himself, as he let his gaze fall on the dilapidated bakery, smothered by blackened wood and ashes. If that wasn't enough to tell his brothers that something had obviously gone askew, Peeta did not know what was.

The teenaged boy then left his mind drift back to the subjects of his mother and father. Would Riley and Cole even miss Ma? Peeta thought to himself. Of course they would he reasoned. She was their one and only mother after all Peeta added. Another rueful chuckle departed from Peeta's lips, as he couldn't believe that he was actually arguing with himself.

Peeta fingered the lockets golden chain, as he let it fall gently into the wrinkled layers of his apron.

"What was that you just put away?" a high-pitched voice asked him all of a sudden.

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**A/N:** So... Whatd'ya think? I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for all of the amazing people who have reviewed and read this story so far, it really does mean a lot to me as an author! I hope that you are still enjoying this story, and until next time guys! Please REVIEW!:)


	7. How Shall I Ever Repay you,Peeta Mellark

_**Chapter 7: How Shall I Ever Repay you, Peeta Mellark?**_

**Disclaimer:** I unfortunately do not own the amazing Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins in any way, shape or form!:(

**MY MINI CONTEST:** I'm hoping that this story can get to 100 reviews after I submit this chapter. So, whoever is my 100th reviewer can do anything he/she wants me to do. This could mean maybe, I don't know having a little guest appearance in the fic, or asking me any "non-stalkerish" questions to answer, or even just asking me to include something in this story that I will gladfully do. Also, to whomever is my 100th reviewer, I will write his/her name on my profile!

**A/N:** Thanks you guys for all of the amazing reviews that I received for the last chapter and also for all of the story alerts and faves for this story. I hope that you guys enjoy this next chapter. Also, I am very sorry to keep bringing this up on here, but it really would mean a lot to me, if you could please submit a tribute to my new SYOT fanfic, "And May the Games Begin." We already have about 12/24 tributes, and it would mean the world to me if some of you guys could contribute to both of my fics. Thanks so much! Also, I hope that you all have a very Happy Easter!:) Enjoy!:)

**Shoutout Time:** I know that I do a little "shoutout time" every time I update this story, but for me, this is one of the best ways to giveall of my readers and reviewers a big, huge thank you. I know that it is not a lot, but I feel that doing a little shout out and replying back to reviews is more than nothing. So, here goes: AmyLuvsWriting, Mrs. Hawthorne, KateTheFanFictionist, LizTheBook/nerd, TheSilverMockingjay, Amy, demonweasel1, PeetaMellark'sKatniss, HopeNeverDies, TheNextMissPeeta, xXxOhMyGods, .Buttons, lovebitesx, EchoDeltaNine, laghingismyhobbie, Avatarfanx2, Random Person, Hey, GoTeamPeetaGo, JulietWithoutHerRomeo, Update, Alatricity, CaityCullen99, BunniesOfDoom, Luthien Surion-my elvish name, nappy sappy happy, eCullenONLY, PurpleCandyCorn, SweetMeiko, Universal Chick, tessarunie, KP4eva, WordsTakingFlight, DistantStorms, TalorrrStrife, patnissandkeeta, GrossGirl8, Kamil the Awesome, BRENDA, and Bookworm1997.

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Peeta practically dropped the golden necklace in his hands at the sound of the feminine voice. He turned around slightly wishing that whoever was pestering him would just go away and let him be.

"I said what did you just put away?" came the agitated high-pitched voice.

Peeta let a low growl sink onto his lips, as he turned around to answer the little nuisance. At times like these, Peeta always wondered, if it were a good thing that the sun always rises, that the moon always sets, that all of nature continued on without him, not caring in the least of what had happened to him in the past twenty-four hours. Sometimes, Peeta found a slight comfort in this, but at others, he just wished that the world and nature would take pity on him and let time freeze for a while, just long enough to pick up his broken pieces.

"Did you just grow at me?" the mysterious voice questioned.

"Look, the bakery is closed," Peeta stated in a defeated voice, not actually comprehending the words that were coming out of his mouth at the moment. The young boy then fully turned around on his heel, curious as to see the young girl that he had been conversing with for the past fifteen minutes.

"Well, that much is obvious," the girl replied coldly, with her arms folded across her chest.

Peeta tilted his head to the side. Something about that girl seemed vaguely familiar to him, now that her face was under the artificial light of District 12's street lamp. Her braided ponytail and somber gray eyes, reminded him of something, somebody, Peeta just couldn't bring his jumbled mind to come up with the resounding answer just yet.

"Wait, why are you here again?" Peeta asked in his confused stupor.

That mere question seemed to make the girl standing next to him fluster. Her fingers immediately went to the end of her glossy braid, as she removed the plastic loop and proceeded to braid and unbraid her slightly tousled hair.

"Um, well, you see, Peeta. After you gave me those two loaves of bread, I immediately rushed home to my family you see. You must understand that you helped us a lot tonight Peeta. My mother and sister and I were surviving just from mint leaves and boiled water, before you spotted me tonight,"

"Oh, no problem-," Peeta stated almost automacally. He really was happy that he had helped this girl's family in their time of need, but all he wanted right now was for this girl to leave his bakery, his deceased home.

"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen," the girl replied back. "Peeta I don't think you fully understand how much those two pieces of bread have done for us tonight. This is the first night in years that my sister and mother have gone to bed without a churning stomach on their hands,"

Katniss. Katniss Everdeen, that girl was standing right in front of his face at this very moment.

"The girl that silenced all of the birds," Peeta whispered more to himself, then the girl standing right in front of him.

"What did you just say?" Katniss asked, letting the hostile tinge melt away from her voice.

Peeta cleared his throat, as he thought of how to reply to the girl in front of him.

"Well, you're the girl with the voice," Peeta stated mater of factly.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Katniss questioned.

"Look, you of all people must know that whenever you sing, all of the birds stop to listen," Peeta replied with absolute sincerity.

"Look, Peeta, I did not come over here to talk to you about this. I came over so that you could tell me of a way to pay you back," Katniss stated cooly.

"Pay me back for what?" Peeta replied, not fully understanding what the girl in front of him was so hung up on at the moment.

"Peeta, I already told you, your bread saved us tonight. There must be something I can do to repay you," Katniss stated business-like.

"It was just bread Katniss," Peeta stated soothingly to her.

Peeta waited for the girl's response, but when he looked up at her, Katniss' gaze was fixed intently on the golden chain spilling slightly out of his apron pocket.

"May I see that for a moment?" Katniss asked softly.

Peeta's fingers hesitated for a moment. How could he just hand off his father's locket to a stranger. But then again, call him crazy or dilluded from the day's events, but he felt that he felt a certain amount of trust and understanding towards this girl. So, before he even knew what he was doing, he gave into this girl's light and placed the locket delicately into her callused hands. Even though, this was their first formal meeting, Peeta was already feeling like a moth to Katniss' flame. Whether it be a flame of hope or a flame of destruction, all that Peeta knew at the moment was that it would be a flame that would start a fire right into his very soul.

Katniss studied the object in her hands intently for a few moments, as she carefully and with surprising delicacy, opened the locket. Her soulful, grey eyes widened considerably at the image before her.

"Why is there a picture of my mother in your locket?" Katniss asked incredulously, as she ran her thumb over the depiction of a young Miss Everdeen.

"Well…" Peeta trailed off, uncertain if he should be spilling to this girl his life story. Peeta gave a silent chuckle to himself, this girl already knew at least ten times as much about him than he did of her. This one more bit of information would not hurt. Peeta reasoned.

Peeta cleared his throat once more, as he tried his hardest to choose his word's carefully.

"your mother was always "the one" for my father." Peeta stated with a slight smile adorning his lips. "And he always claimed that they would have had wedding rings on their fingers and have gotten their grey hairs together, if your mother hadn't run away with that coal miner,"

Peeta paused for a moment as he let the new information sink in for Katniss.

"But, your father, when he sung, my father swore on his life that all of the birds within ten miles of him stopped at once to take in the beautiful melody on his lips," Peeta explained. "You really do have his voice, Katniss,"

"That is one of the most foolish things I have heard anyone say to me," Katniss replied back, but her reply lacked its normal icy tone, as the teenage girl stared intently at her feet.

All of a sudden a slight giggle came from the girl beside him, a sound that Peeta did not think she could ever create. Peeta had heard many girls giggle in his lifetime, but none of them sounded like the tinkling of bells, as did Katniss'.

"I cannot believe how I have let us, myself, digress from what I came here to ask you. Well, I already asked you earlier on, but-" Katniss rambled in a flustered manner.

"Katniss, you can tell me," Peeta said gently.

"I cannot stand the idea of owing anyone, even you Peeta Mellark. Before I leave tonight, you must give me an answer to my question: How will I ever repay you?"

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**A/N:** So what'dya guys think? I hope that you enjoyed this update/chapter thingy! Stay tune for next time, and don't forget what you get (it rhymes) if you are my 100th reviewer. Thanks so much for all of your support and wonderful reviews. Please Review!:)


	8. Lean on Me

**_Chapter 8: Lean on Me_**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in any way, shape, or form!:(

**A/N;** Sorry for the EXTREMELY late update you guys. I just manged to post this short chappie in today, but I'm still in the midst of finals unfortunately. Anyway, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and views. When I logged on to my account today I saw tat they changed the whole system thingy. I can't believe it! Anyway, tell me what you guys think of the new change! Hope you enjoy this chapter. On with the story!:)

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"Oh, little brother!" Riley bellowed, as he and Cole rounded the dirt road corner of the bakery.

"Wait, Riley, Cole!" Peeta screamed. It was just like in those cheesy movies that his Pa sometimes took him to, where the protagonist could do nothing but sit back and watch his loved ones get hurt. The last thing that Peeta wanted at that moment was for his brothers to see the house, well like this.

Tiny flames were still licking at the house's ashen frame. A grayish black could loomed over the bakery. Peeta chuckled with a slight smirk on his face, it seemed as if the darkness loomed ominously over the,. Ironically, the ash could ended at the bakery's peeling white fence. A clear, dark blue sky conquered the rest of the night from there on.

Peeta took a quick glance at his two brothers. Riley's eyes were tinged with a slight harndness, while Cole's glistened even in the dark of the night.

Peeta sighed slightly.

"What does the phrase 'the sun will always rise' mean to you?" Peeta asked in a soothing tone.

"I don't know," Riley grunted in response. How in the world could his little brother be asking such trivial a question at a time like this? The Sun always rose. All that Riley knew and cared about was that whenever he woke up it was there, its annoyingly birght rays glaring at him day after day. It was always there; it was as simple as that.

"What is going on in that head of yours this time little brother?" Cole questioned in a restrained laugh.

"Well, think about it. The Sun will always rise, the moon will always set. Dawn's rosy fingers will always stretch across the sky at the brink of day. The tide will always lap the sandy shore. The Sun will always shine its face after every single dark night of our lives,"

"So?" Riley asked with his arms crossed firmly across his toned chest.

"What does what you have just rambled on and on about have anything to do with this?" Riley retorted back, as his voice began to gradually increase with every work he spoke.

"Listen Riley," Peeta stated, putting a firm hand on his brother's shoulder. "Both of you,"

"All that I was trying to tell the two of you is that life keeps moving. Life doesn't care what is happening in our lives, or anyone else's for that matter. It's a constant. Sometimes you know it really is your only rock, your only wall of support,"

"But at other times it makes you want to rip your hair out," Cole interrupted with a look of understanding.

Peeta gave a silent nod of agreement to his elder brother. Cole had always been the most compassionate of his older siblings.

Peeta let his eyes shift to Riley. The smile gracing his lips disappeared all too soon.

Riley stood facing away from his two brothers, his gaze focused on the scattered ashes of their deceased bakery- and parents. Peeta stared at Riley as he chewed on the walls of his cheek. Riley had always distanced himself from the Mellark family. He was a true lone wolf, never wanting to be in the company of other people for more than fifteen minutes. He was just the kind of kid that preferred silence to the world's noises, but none the less, Peeta knew that Riley had loved his parents more than anything. Also, even if Riley was not going to admit it, his older brother had always been there for Peeta.

Peeta turned his back to his brothers, as he ran a frusturated hand through his hair. Even though, the stiff tension had been alleviated between the trio, Peeta still felt as if there was still a force drawing the three away from one another. Peeta was not naïve nor stupid, even though he was known for his creative mind, the young boy (practically a young man), knew how to decipher reality from fantasy. His pa had always said that he had a good head on his shoulders. Pa. Peeta felt the edges of eyes moisten at the mention of the name. Peeta gave a slight snarl. No, he chided himself. Crying was out of the question. Even though he may be the youngest of his brothers, he knew that he would have to, no need to be there for them.

And with that, Peeta straightened slightly and forced a half hearted smile onto his pale lips.

"So boys, who wants food?" Peeta asked as he rubbed his stomach for emphasis.

Cole chuckled slightly, as he heard his stomach give way to a slight grumble.

"Ah, lead the way little brother!" Cole said with a grin splitting his face.

"With pleasure," Peeta responded with a slight bow, as he leaded his brothers along the dirt path.

As the two brothers chattered idly as they strolled down the dirt path, Riley could not help but trail behind his two brothers. A dark, menacing scowl present on his face. Riley knew what Peeta was doing, and he didn't like it one bit.

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**A/N:** So what did you guys think? I hope you enjoyed it, and please review! I'll try to update as soon as I can, but I'm making no promises. I really hope you guys liked this chapter to anyone who is still reading this fic. Thanks so much for staying with me guys. You are awesome!:)


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